Choline: The Often-Forgotten Nutrient You and Your Baby Need
Choline is one of those pregnancy nutrients that doesn't get nearly enough attention. But when it comes to your baby's developing brain, nervous system, placenta and lifelong health, it deserves a place in the conversation.
When we talk about pregnancy nutrition, the conversation usually centres around folate, iron, iodine, vitamin D and omega-3s.
Choline deserves a place up front in these talks, yet it is commonly forgotten.
Choline is essential for cell membranes, nervous system function, neurotransmitter production, early brain development, gene expression and lipid metabolism. And despite its importance, many women aren't getting enough.
What exactly is choline?
Choline is an essential nutrient involved in some pretty important processes throughout the body. It's needed for:
Brain and nervous system development
Cell membrane structure
Neurotransmitter production
Gene expression
Lipid metabolism
Methylation and epigenetic processes
During pregnancy, choline is particularly important because your baby is undergoing incredibly rapid growth and development. It's also important for placental function and foetal development, making it relevant not only during pregnancy, but in the preconception period too.
Why does choline matter for your baby?
Your baby's brain and nervous system are developing rapidly throughout pregnancy, and choline contributes to this development. Research has also explored the relationship between maternal choline intake and:
Neural tube development
Cognitive development
Attention and learning
Memory
Emotional development
Stress reactivity
Some research has found that higher maternal choline intake during pregnancy is associated with differences in infant stress-response measures and cognitive outcomes. One study found that infants whose mothers consumed 930 mg/day+ of choline had lower cortisol concentrations than those whose mothers consumed less than 500 mg/day. This is one reason choline is becoming increasingly interesting when we look at long-term child development, rather than simply getting through pregnancy.
Choline & neural tube development
Choline may also have an important role alongside folate in reducing the risk of neural tube defects. Research has found associations between lower maternal choline intake or circulating choline concentrations and increased neural tube defect risk, although the evidence isn't completely consistent. Importantly, this doesn't mean choline replaces folate. Think of it as another nutrient involved in the complex processes that support early development.
And it's not just about baby...
Choline is important for mum too. It supports:
Brain function and memory
Cell membrane structure
Liver health
Hormone-related processes
Methylation
Neurotransmitter production
And let's be honest — when you're pregnant or newly postpartum, supporting brain function and memory sounds pretty appealing! There is a reason why the term ‘Baby-Brain’ is used so often! Choline also remains important during breastfeeding, when choline is supplied through breast milk.
How much choline do you actually need?
This is where things get interesting. The standard suggested adequate intake for pregnancy is around 450 mg per day. During breastfeeding, it increases to 550 mg/day.
But research suggests 930–1,000 mg/day may be more optimal for baby's brain development along with other aspects of foetal development.
The problem? Many women aren't getting enough
This is one of the biggest reasons I think choline deserves more attention in preconception and pregnancy nutrition.
The NIH reports that approximately 90–95% of pregnant women consume less than the adequate intake for choline, and prenatal supplements often contain little or none. In fact, a review of prenatal supplements found that only around 40% contained choline, and those that did often contained relatively small amounts. So taking a random prenatal doesn't necessarily mean you're getting meaningful amounts of choline.
So turn the bottle around and check the label.
So, how do you get more choline?
Thankfully, choline is found in a range of everyday foods particularly eggs and liver (especially chicken and beef) although salmon, chicken breast, soybean, lentils, chickpeas and even broccoli have some (but not much).
Eggs are particularly useful because they're an easy, accessible source of choline.
One egg ~147 mg choline. And yes — the yolk is where much of the choline is found, so don't skip it!
What about preconception?
Don't wait until you're pregnant to think about choline.
Preconception is an ideal time to look at your overall nutritional intake and make sure you're building a strong nutritional foundation before conception. This is particularly relevant because some of the processes choline contributes to — including cell structure, methylation and early development — are important from the very beginning of pregnancy.
So when you're preparing for pregnancy, don't just ask: "Am I taking a prenatal?"
Also ask: "What's actually in it?"
And don't forget breastfeeding
Choline is secreted into breast milk, which is one reason maternal requirements increase during lactation. So this isn't a nutrient to think about only for the nine months of pregnancy.
Preconception → pregnancy → breastfeeding
Choline has a place throughout this whole journey.
Nutrition during preconception, pregnancy and breastfeeding is highly individual. This article is intended for general educational purposes and does not replace individualised nutritional or medical advice.
If you're preparing for pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding and would like help reviewing your diet, prenatal supplements and nutritional requirements, book an appointment so we can assess your individual needs and give you the best support.